Aircraft

Belite Aircraft’s short takeoff and landing airplane, the Chipper arrived yesterday sprouting a new pair of metal wings, as well as a few other updates. An experimental kit-built airplane, the Chipper can now be created with aluminum-skinned wings riveted at the leading edge and bonded to the wing ribs. Belite’s President James Wiebe told Flying […]

The all-electric Bye Aerospace Sun Flyer 2 took its first flight on April 10 at the Centennial Airport (KAPA). With clear blue skies over Denver and perfect conditions “we had a fantastic first flight,” said Bye Aerospace president Charlie Johnson. “As with most first flights, we’re not trying to test any limits at this stage,” […]

Rotorvox is on a mission to publicize the manufacturing quality of its new gyrocopter, the Rotorvox C2A that is making its U.S. debut at this week’s Sun ‘n Fun show in Lakeland, Florida. One of Eisenach, Germany-based LIFT Air’s divisions working with their partner Lindig builds the Rotorvox, an all-carbon Rotax-powered machine by “signifying the […]

Piper Aircraft‘s president Simon Caldecott announced in a press conference at the Sun ‘n Fun International Fly-In and Expo the company has inked contracts with multiple flight schools totaling several hundred Piper Archer TX training airplanes. Caldecott announced that an order placed by ATP Flight School in 2013 for 100 Piper Archers TXs will be […]

Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic has once again sent a spaceship aloft. The new SpaceShipTwo craft, named VSS Unity, fired its rocket engine on Thursday for a limited burn following a drop-launch from its mothership, WhiteKnightTwo. Virgin Galactic plans to fly paying space tourists into the microgravity environment of space to enjoy stunning views of […]

NASA yesterday chose Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Skunk Works in Palmdale to build the next X-plane to serve as a low-sonic boom demonstrator test vehicle. The Skunk Works facility is where aircraft such as the famous Blackbird, the U-2 and the F-117 first took shape. The contract translates into $247.5 million for Lockheed to build the […]

Cirrus has claimed one of the most prestigious aviation awards, the 2017 Robert J. Collier Trophy, for its SF50 Vision Jet. The award has been handed out for great aeronautical and aerospace achievements for more than a century. “By revolutionizing general and personal aviation, Cirrus Aircraft, with their Vision Jet, has added to a great […]

ANA Holdings Inc., parent company of ANA, Japan’s largest airline and Honda Aircraft Company have signed a memorandum of understanding for a strategic partnership to expand the business jet market by using Honda Aircraft’s HondaJet. ANA will use the HondaJet for its charter and feeder flights to connect passengers with the airline’s existing network at […]

Just in time for spring, Yakima, Washington-based CubCrafters has added Wipline floats to the XCub type certificate, allowing the highly capable Part 23-certified taildragger to play on water. The certification includes Wipair Inc’s Wipline 2100 floats, which are available in both amphibious and straight float versions. “The XCub’s impressive useful load makes it an ideal […]

Bye Aerospace has taken the final step toward first flight of the all-electric Sun Flyer 2. The company announced that a test pilot for the two-seat low-wing airplane has conducted several successful taxi tests and will take the airplane to the skies soon. Bye Aerspace’s CEO George Bye said the test pilot reported good taxi […]